Some of the governors sitting in the room laughed for a long time, and Obama himself chuckled. But a few moments later, he was much more serious in telling them that the oft-derided stimulus package helped them out.

“It is undeniable that the Recovery Act helped every single state represented in this room manage their budgets, whether you admit it or not,” Obama said.

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He also took a thinly-veiled swipe at one former governor – former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who opposed Obama’s health reform proposals after backing a similar plan in the Bay State.

“I know that many of you have asked for flexibility for your states under this law,” Obama said at the White House. “In fact, I agree with Mitt Romney, who recently said he’s proud of what he accomplished on health care in Massachusetts, [that] he supports giving states the power to determine their own health care solutions.”

Romney’s spokesman told the Boston Globe on Thursday, “Mitt Romney is proud of what he accomplished for Massachusetts in getting everyone covered.”

The White House has gone out of its way in the past year to remind voters that Romney signed a law to give health care to more people in Massachusetts, drawing a comparison with the Affordable Care Act. At one point in March, Robert Gibbs, who was then Obama’s press secretary, told reporters that the two laws were similar — then adding, “I’m sure Gov. Romney hates every time I say that.”

Obama joked that he hasn’t convinced everyone to “be a member of the Affordable Care Act fan club” – an understatement, considering that many of those gathered, including Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, are backing lawsuits aimed at overturning the law.

He finished with a call for unity, telling the governors they have a “partner in the White House,” and expressing ope that “this becomes the start of a productive and serious conversation going forward.”

He tried a bit of his snake oil again. The HCR will bankrupt the states and yes, he oiled it somewhat with my tax money! Collective bargaining rules have already destroyed most of the states before HRC, but this is not Obama's fault! but he should agree to eliminate collective bargaining a tool from the early 1900 and never applicable for public employees!

Governors don’t get Obama mad at you he’s powerful and got some tough friends. Theres a lot of violent people out there we should be keeping our eyes on including Democrat Congressman Michael Capuano who wants to bloody anyone that don’t agree with him fits right in with a lot of Obama’s cohorts. He should get right along with Obama’s Philly Black panthers that want to prevent whites from voting and kill little white cracker babies. They call tea partiers racists but Obama and his ugly looking friend Andy Stern formerly of SEIU didn't care about Kenneth Gladney almost getting killed by some purple shirted SEIU thugs as they were calling him the N word. The fringe media didn’t report the beating here it is below no one has been prosecuted. After the Assembly vote to approve Governor Scott Walker’s budget repair bill Democrat State Rep. Gordon Hintz turned to Republican Rep. Michelle Litjens and said: “You are F***king dead!”.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... /> Please Check out song called teapartiers I can’t hear you at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Soldiers as you and your wife leave your last trace at least you won’t have to see Nancys botox face that chicken neck of hers wouldn’t look good on a snail her and a few of her pals in 2012 wil be in jail

Tea partiers I can’t hear you

You won’t have to see that venemous plastic face she wants patriots like Gladney to disappear without a trace she wants the purple shirts to call him the “N” word and bury him in place

“It is undeniable that the Recovery Act helped every single state represented in this room manage their budgets, whether you admit it or not,” Obama said.

All that did was stall the inevitable and we see what that is coming to now in Wisconsin. This money given to the states mainly for publicly employed people, has now run out. It will cause many layoffs and much turmoil, which is inevitable. The only way to solve this problem permanently is by doing what the governor wants to do

Please...TARP was Mr. Bushs' legacy to big banks and Wall Street.....or have you forgotten? Mr. Obama pushed and brought about the financial reform that is making it harder for banks and insurance companies from using undisclosed bad loan swapping deals that was used to reduce everybody's retirement funds and pensions.

And as far as the health care reform act stop telling the lie that everybody hates the law....not true more and more Americans are realizing the benefits of the law as it is implemented....get you facts straight....it's about 50/50 now......can you tell me what are the intelligent reasons for not at least trying to implement the portions of the law that has been proven to work.......or is the real deal that the argument is really not about the welfare of the people but it is more about politics and payola to congress persons who cater to the insurance companies.......

i love it politico has become as detached as odumbo from the public pulse. politico thinks odumbo they are mixing it with up the governors, not the electorate, when pushing government involvement in health care and supporting union workers over the real workers. oops, not a winning argument. they will be in for a big surprise with the shellacking they get from riding that horse.

Some of the nations governors don't seem to know, or ignore the facts, that it was Wall Street hand in hand with some in congress who failed to provide the oversight, budget needs and regulations to stop the Greed Mongers from almost destroying the economic of our nation. These people are financial terrorists and should be treated as such. High unemployment across the nation as caused most of the states deficit problems. Sending jobs overseas and destroying the home building industry is the result of that greed. Today while millions are on unemployment and welfare corporate profits are riding high.

Like the GOP leadership in congress Scott Walker passed tax cuts for the rich while laying the debt burden on the state's workers who make up some of the middleclass. these Republican governors and those in congress are using the same playbook that the robber barons and depots have used though out time. Pick a group to blame all of our problems on. Keep telling the same lie over and over. Soon it becomes in people's minds a fact. This time we are better informed and will not climb on that train without a fight.

Some of the nations governors don't seem to know, or ignore the facts, that it was Wall Street hand in hand with some in congress who failed to provide the oversight, budget needs and regulations to stop the Greed Mongers from almost destroying the economy of our nation. These people are financial terrorists and should be treated as such. High unemployment across the nation has caused most of the states deficit problems. Sending jobs overseas and destroying the home building industry is the result of that greed. Today while millions are on unemployment and welfare corporate profits are riding high.

Like the GOP leadership in congress Scott Walker passed tax cuts for the rich while laying the debt burden on the state's workers who make up some of the middleclass. these Republican governors and those in congress are using the same playbook that the robber barons and depots have used though out time. Pick a group to blame all of our problems on. Keep telling the same lie over and over. Soon it becomes in people's minds a fact. This time we are better informed and will not climb on that train without a fight.

It is undeniable that the Recovery Act helped every single state represented in this room manage their budgets, whether you admit it or not,” Obama said.

All that did was stall the inevitable and we see what that is coming to now in Wisconsin. This money given to the states mainly for publicly employed people, has now run out. It will cause many layoffs and much turmoil, which is inevitable. The only way to solve this problem permanently is by doing what the governor wants to do

Yep. Maybe the ONLY 'good' news is that there are a LOT more repub govs and state houses now. We all KNOW that dems can NOT act responsibly. Imagine all of the tax hikes like dems have done in IL and MD if we had more dem govs. UGH

bye bye BIG govt BIG spending dems. I am so happy that you are toast! :-)

From what I read, I like the way President Obama handled himself in this meeting with Governors. While being civil and courteous, he let them know he is no fool and he knows and they know some of them are saying things they know are not truthful to their constituents and taking actions for political gains that hurt their own states. ~ richard allbritton, Miami, http://rallbritton.blogspot.co...